"A road that didn´t take just one day"

Title: Into the West  

Year: 2005  

Genre: Western, Adventure, Drama, History 

Format: Miniseries 

Director: Robert Dornhelm, Simon Wincer, Sergio Mimicca-Gezzan, Michael W. Watkins and Timothy Van Patten 

Writer: William Mastrosimone, Cyrus Nowrasteh, Craig Storper and Kirk Ellis 

Runtime: 552min 

Cast: Matthiew Settle, Skeet Ulrich, Michael Spears, Tonantzin Carmelo, George Leach, Zahn McClarnon, Simon R. Baker, Sean Blakemore, Josh Brolin, Garey Busey, Will Patton, Francesco Quinn, Geno Silva, Alan Tudyk, Beau Bridges, Jessica Capshaw, Emily Holmes, Robert Maloney, Keri Russell, Jay Tavare, Nathaniel Arcand, Sean Astin, Irene Bedard, Gil Birmingham, Tyler Christopher, Balthazar Getty, Daniel Gillies, Graham Greene, Christian Kane, Russell Means, Matthiew Modine, Tyler Posey, John Terry, Sheila Tousey, Rachael Lee Cook, Annabella Piugattuk, Tom Berenger, Wes Studi

Budget: $50 million approx. 

In Into the West, through two families, one white and the other of native americans, we are told the process by which the white man would eventually end up taking over the entire territory of the United States. 

Steven Spielberg serves as executive producer in this six-part miniseries, which runs from 1820 to 1890. It shows the endless fight between these two races, held during the conquest of the west, and the final fall of the indians. 

Jacob Wheeler (Matthiew Settle) is a young wheelwright, who early in the century lives and works in the fictional Wheelerton, Virginia, with his family. One day, a mountaineer speaks wonders of the western frontier, and Jacob decides to leave home and go to see it. He is accompanied, on this trip, by his brother Nathan (Alan Tudyk). 

In another setting we have the Lakotas, whose elderly medicine man, Growling Bear (Gordon Tootoosis), has had a disturbing vision. He has been informed of what will happen if things follow the current course. Very soon there will come a day when there are no more buffalos on the prairies. 

To something so controversial, Soaring Eagle (Gerald Auger), his apprentice, manages to convince the tribe to ignore this prophecy. Meanwhile, the small White Feather (Chevez Ezaneh) intends to investigate this on his own. Shortly before his death, Growling Bear gives him a necklace that symbolizes the Lakota medicine wheel. This will pass from generation to generation, in every episode. 

Going back to Jacob, our character manages to find legendary explorer Jedediah Smith (Josh Brolin), where fiction (Jacob) and reality (Smith) are combined. After even confronting together with death, they separate. Jacob ends up taking part in an auction, where for sale there is an indian girl. He, like the other bidders, gives higher figures every time, not hesitating to clarify his aim of freeing the captive, and that amuses anyone. Jacob is challenged to a duel and comes out victorious, then him and the indian Thunder Heart Woman (Tonantzin Carmelo) take the way to the Lakotas. Already in the tribe, Jacob hopes to make her his wife, finding no opposition. Jacob and her get married, and a few years later, they are the happy parents of Abraham High Wolf, Jacob Jr. High Cloud and Margaret Light Shines. 

Each chapter provides an opportunity to care and learn about the historical background of the United States, while one is entertained by spectacularly recreated battle scenes, between indians and white men. Also, there´s the various sub plots, which are always uniting, one another, it´s characters. With the advance of the narrative, the first protagonists, whites or lakotas, cease to be the ones to be directly affected by the circumstances, becoming the new generations, the ones living the new changes. 

Thanks to an extremely carefully writing, has been that the times that this miniseries granted to every detail were correct. From the arrival to California and Oregon, conducted by Jedediah Smith and his group of riders (1826), until such moments as the invention of the telegraph (1844), the election of Lincoln (1860) or the patenting of the barbed wire ( 1874). 

However, beyond the anecdotal of any significant date, it should be clear what is the central, intended purpose. Here, it is seek, more than anything, that we see and understand, how exactly would be that the white man would classify as "his", this territory, which in fact had already got an owner. Luckily, it is not made the mistake of showing all whites as bad people, something that would have been unfair and untrue. The miniseries works a lot with the nuances, showing those whose desire was clearly to conquer, and those who had only wanted peace. It also explains the various reasons that would prevent the indians from defeating this cruel enemy. 

Into the West is, in my opinion, the most entertaining of the history courses. The kind that one would never want, to reach its end. 

My rating: 9/10

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"Been one of us has it´s price"

Title: Undocumented

Year: 2010

Genre: Horror

Director: Chris Peckover

Writer: Chris Peckover, Joe Peterson

Runtime: 96min

Cast: Scott Mechlowicz, Alona Tal, Yancey Arias, Greg Serano, Kevin Weisman, Peter Stormare

Produc.: Sheperd Glen Productions

Budget: $1.400.000 million approx.

In Undocumented, a team of documentary students joins a group of mexicans, with the intention of registering their illegal crossing over into the United States.

Travis (Scott Mechlowicz) is the director; Davie (Greg Serano), the cameraman; Jim (Kevin Weisman), the soundguy; and Liz (Alona Tal), the producer. These four friends have decided to follow from very close, an attempt of emigration. It is clear that for them, the end justifies the means.

Shortly before departing, the team meets Alberto (Yancey Arias), one of those interested in leaving. With the introductions being made, Alberto talks to the camera. This man, who is about to break the law, smiles as he tells his story, happy for the opportunity that is oppening to him tomorrow. His story is summarized as a great desire for giving a better quality of life to his wife and daughter.

Before we appreciate what is that awaits them both, filmmakers as mexicans, this complex socio – political issue will have quickly been raised to us. This, probably very difficult to understand, if one has not been born in one of these two northern countries.

During the interview, at no time Alberto appears to be conceited, and instead, his joy is sincere. With this, what I mean to say is that this individual probably never wanted to get to this point, if could been avoided. His situation, however, would eventually end up forcing him to have to resort to such measures. Whether or not, justifiably, that's another thing. I, of course, just expose it, aware that it is much easier to say it from the outside, when not being in one of the two sides.

The film crew then follows the steps of these illegals. With them, they first go through an underground tunnel. Then they get into a truck, from where before they had been flashed the lights. Once they are all up is when the risks are increased, until luck abandons them.

Undocumented takes to the extreme, and to the last and most unthinkable consequences, the rejection of the intruder. The usual, in a case of this nature, would be that one ended up meeting with the border patrol. In this case, that would be even laughable. Instead of law abiding sane people, what they come across with is a band of hooded patriots, who take their offense too much seriously. Their leader is the dreaded Z (Peter Stormare), a sadist for whom the unallowed crossing means they deserve to be punished.

When filmmakers and mexicans are imprisoned, the situation for the Spanish speakers is the worst, because they might end up being tortured in the style of Hostel (2006). But for the students team, Z has already booked other plans. Since they are filmmakers, of them filming his atrocities to the letter, depends whether or not he finishes with them. But what is clear to all is that with these hooded men you do not play. The thing is that Z has already got in his facilities a collection of illegals, who are trapped in inhumane conditions.

There are two scenes in the film that stand out for their cruelty. In one, we see how Z grants the freedom to Selina (Lorel Medina), Alberto´s daughter, and who should immediately leave her parents and run away, if she wants to save herself. Z tells the girl which way she has to follow, but aware that the fear will eventually play a trick on her. Later, in a failed attempt of escape, the youngsters get to see how the kid had ended tangled in the barbed wire that surrounded the area. A really raw and daunting picture, and more for Alberto.

In another scene, Alberto is sitting before a displayed American flag and has to answer correctly to questions of American history. For every answer that he does not knows, his wife will be severely punished. The scene itself seeks to generate pain, although it does, again, reference to political matters.

In the end, Undocumented is an entertaining horror film, which takes this social problem of always, and tries to imagine what it would be like if there were more extreme reprimands.

My rating: 7/10

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"A place with waiters and trayless waiters"

Title: Chef´s Special

Year: 2008

Genre: Comedy, Romance

Director: Nacho G. Velilla

Writer: Oriol Capel, David S. Olivas, Antonio Sánchez, Nacho G. Velilla

Runtime: 111min

Cast: Javier Cámara, Lola Dueñas, Benjamín Vicuña, Fernando Tejera, Alejandra Lorenzo, Junio Valverde

Produc.: Ensueño Films, Antena 3 Televisión, Canguro Produzioni Internazionali Cinematografiche

Budget: € 400 million approx.

In Chef's Special, Maxi (Javier Cámara) is an excellent chef, of homosexual inclination, whose work in his restaurant is disrupted when he has to take care of his two children, recently motherless. At the same time, he and his waitress Alex (Lola Dueñas) meet his new apartment neighbor, Horacio (Benjamín Vicuña), for whom they both feel attracted.

Maxi owns "The Xantarella" a Madrid restaurant, located in the district of Chueca. For him, his greatest aspiration has always been to show off to the critics, so he can be able to consolidate himself, earning a Michelin star. Since this is a comedy, it is precisely that one of the first funny situations happens when Ramiro (Fernando Tejera), in charge of the desserts, confuses a representative of tires with a critic.

Also that day, Alex shows up in the kitchen, cursing all men, dripping tears and drinking alcohol, frustrated with her last relationship.

This is how, in a few minutes, the director has presented the type of character that would be necessary, so that later, we can laught out loud.

Soon after, two situations occur that lead the poor Maxi to feel he is into trouble. On the one hand, the mother of his children (with whom things were already over long ago, and who now had a terminal illness), dies, leaving him Alba (Alejandra Lorenzo), a girl, and Edu (Junio ​​Valverde), a teenager. For Maxi, none of this was in his plans and he is terrified, not knowing what to do.

As if this were not enough, a new neighbor, former argentinian footballer Horacio moves into his building, resulting in Alex´s immediate crush on him, and that her behavior becomes stunned, not aware that such a handsome young man actually plays for the other team.

Chef's Special is a comedy that takes advantage of the mysteries of the search for love (be it, of whatever type), but above all and most of all, using the always controversial issue of discrimination. The jokes, though somewhat heavy, never fall into vulgarity. What the film clearly gives to understand, is that any homosexual willing to enjoy it, should be, with the film, able to laugh at oneself.

It is a proposal that has managed to combine very good humor, with the transmission of values, knowing Nacho G. Velilla quite well, when it was time to joke, and when, the time of delivering a good message of acceptance, in a society that is exclusive.

Also, it is granted some space to the matter of the single parent family, which neither encourages nor punishes. We are simply described the meaning of having to live in such circumstances. In this case, where we have, on the one hand, a man who, for the first time must exercise that role without even beeing sure of wanting it. And on the other hand, with two kids, who at the recent death of their mother, must get used to living with someone with whom until then, they had never had any connection.

My rating: 7/10

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"Building the horror, piece by piece"

Title: The cabin in the woods

Year: 2012

Genre: Horror, Thriller

Director: Drew Goddard

Writer: Joss Whedon, Drew Goddard

Runtime: 95min

Cast: Kristen Connolly, Chris Hemsworth, Anna Hutchison, Fran Kranz, Jesse Williams, Richard Jenkins, Bradley Whitford, Brian White

Produc.: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Mutant Enemy, United Artist

Budget: $30 million approx.

In The cabin in the woods, five friends who gather for a weekend, end up finding much more than the typical dangers of the dark woods.

The audiences were asking out loud, to be listened to. Were asking to stop making so many remakes and sequels, fed up of always seeing the same story. But the thing is that in Hollywood, box office successes are intended to be exploited till the end. Studios prefer to hire people willing to negotiate a good contract, to resume an idea, already, more than squeezed, and to say no to more rewarding projects, though less lucrative.

The audiences were claiming, given the lack of originality. And just as The Avengers (2012) would come to save us from the invasion, Joss Whedon itself (who adapted Stan Lee) would come to give us a break, in this other gender.

Co-written by him and Drew Goddard, and directed by Goddard, its release had been scheduled for February 5, 2010. However, given MGM´s intention of converting it to 3D, plus its subsequent announcement of being in bankruptcy, the wait would last. Finally, both Whedon and Goddard would oppose to the conversion and after serious financial problems, the distribution of the film would be sold to the Lions Gates Entertainment Corporation, for reaching the theatres on April 13, 2012.

Regarding Whedon, he would give a brief definition of what horror films meant to him, and of that, in which, according to him, they had ended up becoming. He would also say which was the goal been chased by him and his co-writer, and that he would partly describe as: "...an attempt to revitalize the genre ...", etc., etc.

I got to read a lot of reviews that highlighted how good it was the result, in addition to, how twisted. A friend told me, via Facebook, that beyond its originality and above all, the fuss was due to its so much postponed premiere. He also told to me to see it anyway, but beeing patient, because at first, it was going to seem silly.

I ended up realizing that, certainly, it was not for such a fuss.

Dana (Kristen Connolly), Curt (Chris Hemsworth), Jules (Anna Hutchison), Marty (Fran Kranz) and Holden (Jesse Williams) are the typical characters, unmistakable in any horror movie, concerning youth and isolated cabins. Can be recalled, for example, the classic The evil dead (1981) or Cabin Fever (2009).

Furthermore, Sitterson (Richard Jenkins) and Hadley (Bradley Whitford) are two technicians from a company, whose job is to simultaneously handle several scenarios, by which are constantly wreaking havoc in different parts of the world and in different ways.

What comes up next in the cabin, is a summation of clichés, that although may be boring, it is understood that it does not pursues the same goals we already know. There is in fact, a twist.

We have the romantic young couple (Curt and Jules), which has the ridiculous idea of having sex in the woods, instead of in a bed, as rational people. They end up getting in trouble, as it is evident. Or we have the group´s clown (Marty), who, being on his own, at the moment of his attack, manages to save himself.

Such situations are unleashed when the kids have the bright idea of going down the basement (formerly opened by Sitterson), were they should never have walked in. Down there, Dana takes a book with latin texts, and although Marty warns her, afraid, she reads a spell that awakens the zombies.

Once we have seen a bit of struggle, blood and death, one would want such patience to have its reward, but the movie twists are not anywhere near the remarkable and surprising that, as a spectator, one was expecting.

I do have to say, however, that what has occured to Whedon is that so much suffering was due to theoretically necessary procedures and for the sake of most of us. Something that later, it is made clear.

We can not deny that it is something new. Except that, once the first big surprise has been revealed, and when three of the kids have already died, the film relies on showing us a massacre, with monsters sweeping against the sadistic responsibles of the project, in what seems, was a punishment. Thus, it has gone from the originality to the easy joke.

It plays a lot with the, obviously fictional concept, of that we were young fools, always inclined to open the doors of fear (ie to get into where we are not called), and where, according to Sitterson, that has to be paid. That is actually an excuse to justify himself.

Already, when much of the argument has been revealed and the intrigue has given way to the hunting, is that the film begins to lose its charm, only sustained by the final appearance of the head of the company.

But in short, is this, ultimately, a great movie? I sincerely, doubt it. More, I tend to think that, with its script they have been able to tell a different story, exploiting the most common codes in a way never seen before. Although, with a conclusion that was for me, too far fetched. I doubt that to be enough as to say this is the best in horror movies of this year. It is, indeed, entertaining, different and to pass the time.

My rating: 6/10

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"Disturbing the new neighbor, in God´s name"

Title: Henry Poole is here

Year:  2008

Genre: Comedy, Drama

Director:  Mark Pellington

Writer: Albert Torres

Runtime: 99min

Cast: Luke Wilson, Radha Mitchell, Adriana Barraza, Morgan Lily, Rachel Seiferth, George Lopez, Cheryl Hines, Richard Benjamin

Produc.: Overture Films, Lakeshore Entertainment, Camelot Pictures

In Henry Poole is here, Henry (Luke Wilson) is a deeply depressed man, who refuses to believe that on his house´s back wall, may have appeard the image of Christ.

In his depression, Henry just wants to pay for the purchase of his new property and to be left alone to suffer. The first thing we know is that something bad is happening to him, but it is not until later, that we find out what it is.

One day, Henry is inside his house, when suddenly, looking out a window he recognizes Esperanza (Adriana Barraza), a neighbor of his. For some reason she is in his garden, facing his patio´s back wall. Immediately, Henry goes out to find her, moment in which he realizes that the woman has crossed to the next door´s yard. Us, who have earlier seen her cross herself, now see how she talks exalted, on the phone.

Henry then approaches the wall between the gardens and in a very quiet tone, asks Esperanza what was she doing behind his house. To respond, the woman invites him to accompany her, to what, moments later, we have them both peering into a wall, where there is a stain.

Esperanza looks at this stain with the same awe of someone who had just found oil. Meanwhile, Henry is sure to be only seeing dirt. Esperanza is a very religious woman and Henry instead, a complete atheist. For her, what is before their eyes is the face of Jesus and a true miracle, but for Henry it is nothing.

So far, both views are perfectly respectables. However, the situation will get complicated, when Esperanza crosses the line.

Henry, who had been wanting to be left alone, begins to be bothered by his neighbor. Esperanza, determined to make him understand that what is on his wall is a sign from God, again and again, insists on showing up. First, she goes back to his house with Father Salazar (George Lopez), and then goes back again, sereval times, with different neighbors. All of them in need of the help of the Almighty.

At the same time, Henry meets young Patience (Rachel Seiferth), cashier of a supermaket that he frequents, and Dawn Stupek (Radha Mitchell) and her daughter Millie (Morgan Lily), from whom he is now next door´s neighbor. All three will be important elements, that make the story move forward.

One night, Millie crosses to Henry´s patio and touches the stain. In no time she has regained her speech, inasmuch as she had not said a word since her father´s abandonment. By the way, who had encouraged her to go touch the wall, and knowing that Henry would not like that? Esperanza Martinez. Now, at this point, it seems as if the world was conspiring against him.

As if this were not enough, Patience also goes to touch the wall, to which suddenly, the girl claims to have miraculously recovered her good eyesight and to no longer need glasses. For poor Henry this is the last straw, and he tries for everyone to understand that these "miracles" are nothing more than pure coincidence. Fortunate events, which have had to coincidentally happen, right when both had just touched the wall.

A whole community of believers end up turning his backyard into a kind of sacred site and filling the wall with offerings. Regardless of this being a private property, they all take the opportunity, without anyone even considering, that one's freedom ends where another's begins. This is to say that if Henry wanted, he could perfectly report them to the police.

The film reaches a point, where Esperanza insists Henry on that he touches Jesus face himself, to get rid of his depression. Henry then, rejects this possibility, still refusing to believe her. But now with greater difficulty, since it is clear that he does that, more for fear of the unknown, than anything else. These so-called "miracles" that he has witness, have begun to increasingly make it harder for him to maintain an skepticism that, anyway, he refuses to drop.

Henry Poole is here does not begin in a bad way. First, Henry meets Dawn and Millie, and later appears the religious matter. Here, the film has already got a main character with a good conflict, and whose only negative thing would be all that sentimental side with his Stupek neighbors, that might get us a little bit bored.

However, what we have in the end, is nothing more than a great advertising movie of the Christian religion, and where the director tells us that finding faith is how we could free ourselves of all our suffering, and also Henry, of his. With characters trying to give us the reasons why, according to them, it is good and necessary to believe in something. When the right thing would have been to show the idea of ​​religion as just a possible alternative, for us to decide if to choose.

Here no one wants us to think about it and choose the way we like, but rather, we are inclined to the way of faith. It is a message that, to a large degree could offend many people.

My rating: 3/10

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"Breaking the traditions requires bravery"

Title: Brave

Year: 2012

Genre: Animation, Action, Adventure, Comedy

Director: Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman, Steve Purcell (co-director)

Writer: Brenda Chapman (story), Mark Andrews, Steve Purcell, Brenda Chapman and Irene Mecchi (screenplay)

Runtime: 100min

Cast: Kelly Macdonald, Billy Connolly, Emma Thompson, Julie Walters, Robbie Coltrane, Kevin Mckidd, Craig Ferguson, Steven Cree

Produc.: Walt Disney Pictures, Pixar Animation Studios

Budget: $185 millions approx.

In Brave, Merida is a Scottish princess of the DunBroch clan, who refuses to strictly comply with her role in the family tradition. Once she decides to change her situation, will be when things turn to her upside down.

This new adventure, born of a collaboration between Disney and Pixar, comes at a time when, I think, it was essential, given the overabundance of sequels. But, do not get me wrong. Except rare cases, I would say that there has, almost never happen, that a major studio animation were to disappoint.

Today it is the case of Brave, which, for the first time has a female protagonist as a lead character, also taking place in the early Middle Ages.

Merida (Kelly Macdonald) is a teenage girl, daughter of Fergus (Billy Connolly), warrior father, and Elinor (Emma Thompson), mother of elegant manners. From his father she inherited the spirit for action, and from her mother... it remains to be seen.

Right at this moment, Elinor is nervous, as the heads of three neighboring clans are coming to her kingdom with their sons, the princes, so that they compete for Merida´s hand. What Elinor wants is for her daughter to behave, act politely and accept her fate, already established.

To Merida, to obey to her mother sounds very dificult, as this is a tradition that she does not share. Elinor has always seen herself as a lady, educated and refined. Unable to eat, using her hands, sit hunched or stain her clothing. Quite the opposite to her daughter´s way of life. The relationship between the one and the other is of cats and dogs. A tie with which many will, for sure, feel identified.

In an act of rebellion, and after the princes faced each other in archery, Merida shows up to compete for her own hand. Under the rules, the suitors must be firstborns and she is too. It is to be understood that this does not applies, but to Merida, little it matters. Furious, and driven by a nagging mother, she aims to the three targets and hits the three in the middle.

At this point, for Merida her mother has become an ogre, and she, a misunderstood. In an early climax, where the two discuss, Merida breaks a tapestry, woven by her mother, in which she and her parents appeared together, after which she flees on horseback into the forest. Soon, Merida reaches the cabin of an old woman (Julie Walters), part witch and part saleswoman, and manages to get a promising spell. With this, she will be able to change her mother, her way of thinking, just by giving her to try a little cake. What the old woman, however, forgets to mention, is that this will also change her body image. Not aware of this, Merida turns her mother into a bear, animal to which her father had sworn revenge.

Spells and the struggles to finish them are something we have already seen. Take, for example, the case of Beauty and the Beast (1991). The difference here lies, in that this type of conflict between mother and daughter, is for many, much more closer and real.

Elinor and Merida do not want to listen to each other. Elinor believes that she is the one uncomprehended, and does not understand what did she do wrong, when in fact it is her daughter the aggrevied. The sad thing is that they had to reach to the point, where the mother had to leave her human condition and her dialogue capacity, for both, to finally agree.

Daughter and mother (now bear) leave the castle to put Elinor safe from a husband, who does not know about the spell. It is from there, in the middle of the woods, that both give themselves the chance to make a radical change in their relationship, even if forced by extreme circumstances. Merida is now the only one that can express herself. Her mother can only hear or roar. Here it becomes very funny, to see how an Elinor that, hairy, about six feet tall and with paws instead of legs, still maintains the same impeccable behavior of a perfect lady, besides still carrying her crown.

Throughout the film, the humor, the entanglements and some important information about the past of the clan itself, are always accompanied by this good lesson of coexistence, which dictates that there is a reason, why we have two ears and only one mouth.

Nevertheless, nor is that, necessary, one had to go to the movies to understood about certain truisms. The film only reinforces concepts that we all already knew. Because it is unfortunate, but true, that many parents, unwittingly make the mistake of wanting to always decide for their children. Not allowing them to live their lives in their own way.

My rating: 6/10

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"The man who challenged Alcatraz"

Title: Escape from Alcatraz

Year: 1979

Genre: Action, Crime, Drama

Director: Don Siegel

Writer: J. Campbell Bruce (book), Richark Tuggle (screenplay)

Runtime: 112min

Cast: Clint Eastwood, Patrick McGoohan, Roberts Blossom, Jack Thibaeu, Fred Ward, Paul Benjamin, Larry Hankin, Bruce M. Fischer, Frank Ronzio, Fred Stuthman, David Cryer, Madison Arnold

Produc.: Paramount Pictures, The Malpaso Company
Budget.: $8 million approx.

In Escape from Alcatraz we are told the true story of Frank Morris (Clint Eastwood), who, along with two other prisoners, carried out, what is believed to date to be the only successful escape from this prison.

On January 20, 1960, and after having already been circulating through various jails, Morris arrived to Alcatraz. Born in 1926, Morris had begun his history background with only 13, after which he would be arrested for his criminal behavior, on successive occasions. His crimes went, from the possession of narcotics, to the armed robbery.

Don Siegel directed this film, which, bridging the gap, would end up having some similarities with the 1997 blockbuster, Titanic. Both were based on the premise that these architectural wonders (a ship and a prison) were inviolables. It was thought impossible to breach the security of Alcatraz, and Frank Morris would do it. It was believed impossible that the world's largest boat went under, and that would also happen.

Escape from Alcatraz was a dramatization, which seek to recreate everything before the feat, and the achievement itself. Siegel, very determined, not to leave aside any detail, would let us see each movement performed by the inmate. Him, as qualified to do this as to have no oversights. Indeed, with an IQ higher than normal, Morris had advantages that others did not.

Once inside, Morris would be stripped naked, neat and made aware of the regulations, before entering his cell. Later he would meet the other prisoners, some of whom, would become his friends.

At narrative level, it would be essential that Siegel described the internal panorama of the place, to make it clear that, seek freedom was only one of several reasons for wanting to leave the prison. The thing is that, far from being a quiet place, this could become hell. One of two things, could happen to you here: or that you calm down and behave properly (getting along with some, and making your stay more bearable), or that you meddle with the others or went, somehow, crazy. And if you were of the meek, and repeatedly runned into someone aggressive, you would have to watch your backs. There would be a scene in the showers, where Wolf (Bruce M. Fischer), one of the most violent ones, stopped before Morris, with a smile and an attitude, that left one wondering between, if was he a homosexual, with temperament problems, or if was he, perhaps, simply a bully.

Out of such incidents, what we would understand at once, was that, if you had been free, to be a bad boy, in Alcatraz it would not take you long to straighten, or otherwise, you would suffer the consequences. English (Paul Benjamin) or Litmus (Frank Rozio), for example, were two guys who had done wrong outside, but now they behaved with discipline, unable to move a finger, if they saw it dangerous. Another of the inmates, the veteran Doc (Roberts Blossom), killed the hours, expressing his talent in his paintings. We would not see, in this way, sleazy criminals, but a lot of frightened men, fearing the possibility of finding something even worse than the very fact of being there, by itself.

I do not know if it might have been given to creative reasons, reality or chance, but this film would not be spared from the trend of showing the prison´s director as someone of bad character. Here, the prison´s warden (Patrick McGoohan), although not precisely "the" villain, would indeed, ocassionally suggest, that from time to time, he had some personal issues with the inmates.

Returning to the main plot, Siegel would care to show us to each of those who, either in a greater or lesser extent, had come to lend Morris a hand. Within an institution of this kind, there is something that has always existed, and that is the possibility of having access to certain types of tools, as long as you knew how to negotiate them. To Morris, for example, some help would cost him all of his desserts, at meal time.

Morris, then, would be by means of patience, long hours and skilled distraction strategies, that he would manage to succeed, with his two companions, Clarence and John Anglin (Jack Tibeau and Fred Ward), to develop the perfect plan, of which he was the thinking mind.

Regarding the weaker part of the movie, I would say that Siegel made the mistake of not delving into aspects of Morris´s psychology itself. Looking back at the fictional, 1994 prison drama, The Shawshank Redemption, Darabont had taken his time for us to meet Andy Dufresne as much as possible. Thus, afterwards, we would live the entire sequence of his getaway, almost as if we were the ones who were leaving behind Shawshank. This in Escape from Alcatraz also occurs, but to a much smaller scale, and thus, depriving magnitude to the last sequence. It is still true, that Morris's feat was far less impressive than what was done by Dufresne. But that does not change that it was up to Siegel, to ensure that the part of the escape, had in us the same effect, achieved by Darabont.

My rating: 6/10

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